Author: 510donna

It cost nearly 100€ to drive from Geneva to Como! Between the tolls on the autoroute and the cost of going through the Mont Blanc tunnel, it was an easy, but costly, drive. The scenery was incomparable!

Como is a bustling little town – the take-off point for many of the smaller towns around the gorgeous lake. Because it is so bustling, they have congestion pricing in the center of town – 30€ to go in and another 30€ to leave! Our hostess gave us the name of a reasonable municipal parking lot which we used the first day, but after that we took the bus.

Donna’s Italian is mostly a dim memory, but her accent is still pretty good. The downside of that is that when she was able to formulate a question she received an earful of Italian at about 200km per hour, of which she understood only a word here or there! Humbling!

Our first afternoon in Como we did our traditional cobblestone stroll around the Duomo and the old quarter. Next a stroll over to the lakeside to see a town that reminded us of Sausalito on a lake! We felt right at home!

The next day we did some house keeping in the morning – shoring up provisions and doing laundry. Then down to the lake for a one hour ferry ride to Moltrasio and Torno and back to Como. It was a lovely way to see the surrounding area. We had been thinking of driving around the lake the next day, but decided instead to take a day trip by ferry to Bellagio at the center of the two main legs of the lake.

That turned out to be a great plan, as a heat wave has settled in to Europe and it was about 94° the next day! We found a shady spot on the boat and settled in for the 2 hour ride.

Bellagio is quite a little tourist mecca. As soon as you disembark from the ferry, there are restaurants, souvenir shops, jewelry stores and gelaterias! After a delicious lunch, a walk up the hill led us to an amazing little jewel of a church, the Basilica San Giacomo. Built between 1075 and 1125, the mosaics are stunning!

Our last day in Como, we checked out of our Airbnb and headed for the funicular that goes up the hill from the lake. At the top is a little church and a light house, but for us, the main attraction was the ride. It was about a 22˚ slope up the hill. There are two cars and the counterweight is the car going in the opposite direction. Going up didn’t seem extreme, but going down was thrilling!

It should be mentioned at some point in the highlights of an Italian tour, that gelato and sorbetto are available EVERYWHERE. About every fifth doorway has a gelato cooler – often “artisanal” or “Fatti in Casa”. And of course with the heat wave, it is nearly impossible to resist! Donna’s favorite so far was the pink grapefruit sorbetto in Como. Sam found a dark chocolate that he adored . It really tasted like dark chocolate, not chocolate pudding!

We are headed for Treviso next. Looking forward to a smaller canal city, less crowded than Venice!

We miss you all,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

June 26, 2019

Co

Coffee

Donna writing here: At home I am the person with the 14 ounce commuter mug of coffee that lasts until noon. I drink coffee on the tennis court (between games), in the car, while reading the paper, doing housework, out in the garden. I stop drinking at noon, because I think it disturbs my sleep.

Recently, a California friend opined that French coffee is terrible and that the French don’t have a coffee culture as we do in the Berkeley/Oakland area. I couldn’t disagree, because Sam and I are picky about our coffee – where to purchase it, which beans to purchase, how to store them, what grind to use for which coffee preparation method…

However since we’ve been in Europe, what I notice is that while Americans (especially in the Bay Area) are focused on Coffee:The Product, Europeans seem more focused on Coffee: The Process. Folks are sitting around cafés with their friends and family having a conversation and enjoying a relaxing time with a cup of coffee. We mostly have not seen people sitting in coffee shops with their phones or laptops. They are there to have a break in their day. I have not seen ONE SINGLE commuter cup, and in fact when Sam asked a barista in a small café if he could fill one for us, the barista had no idea what he was talking about! Sam: We see no coffee pots or urns at coffee shops; every cup is made to order.

So I am becoming a Coffee: The Process person. I have enjoyed almost every cup of coffee I’ve had since we got here. I am enjoying my single or double cup of coffee in the morning and going on with my day without hauling my stainless steel 14 ounce cuppa joe! And guess what? I am sleeping better as well!

Airbnb

This might better be titled Ikea! We have stayed in 4 Airbnb places so far and what I have noticed is that Ikea seems to be the main provisioner of Airbnb furniture (except for the UGLIEST table in the world in Beaune!). Every sofa, every bed, every vanity, kitchen cupboard, sink, bed linen, towel, decorative accessory, wall decor, dish, flatware, cup, glass – you name it – seems to come from Sweden! Do they offer a special discount for folks furnishing an Airbnb space? We had matching couches in Beaune and Como. Matching cupboards in Archamps and Como. Matching book shelves/room dividers in Archamps and Lyon. BTW, we’re going to Sweden in August to pick up our new car–an Idea whose time has come.

Until we reached Treviso (more on this later). This little flat has all Olde World furnishings. A floral couch, an armoire and bed painted white with gold trim , copies of Carvaggio paintings and botanical prints on the walls, rococo gold mirrors, gold and white ceramic chandeliers. Kind of refreshing after a steady diet of Swedish Modern!

Driving

Whether on the Autoroute or off, we have had a great experience driving (mostly Sam). Folks seem to mind the speed limit, they ONLY pass on the left, they universally use their turn signals and the roads we have been on are in wonderful condition for the most part. As mentioned previously, we were in a terrible traffic jam leaving Paris, and we ‘ve been in a couple of jams involving an accident ahead of us or roadwork requiring a lane closure, and people are pretty polite – they take turns letting you in and don’t try to cut you off. It’s as though the drivers on 880 took a Polite Pill!

While we see an unbelievable number of models of cars and vans in three countries we’ve been in, the size generally falls between diminutive and small but with a few big cars here and there. Not so, trailer trucks, busses and delivery trucks–they are the same as we see in the U.S. The autoroutes have ample lanes but in towns and cities, the road width was established long before the automobiles came along. Drivers exhibit skill and intrepitude at every turn! The #7 Lora bus in Como, took us up and down the hill from Como to our place. On the main hill stretch the 8-meter wall is several centimeters on the right and the centerline is few from the left, but each driver negotiated it at speed and nary a scrape or crunch! We were wondering if the drivers test for intrepitude and have to have rating of at least nine to drive the Lora!

We will be sharing our wonderful stay in Como soon!

Donna, Sam and LuLu

At the foot of Mt. Salève, at the bottom of Lac Léman, sits the little gem of Geneva. Today it’s a tidy combination of medieval charm and modern industry – banking, watches, high tech and tourism. Donna’s junior year abroad was spent here and she has some lovely memories of the city. We hoped to retrace her steps.

We rented an Airbnb about 20 minutes outside of town – in France! The little town of Archamps is a tech hub in the area. The border control between France & Switzerland here is unmanned about 24 hours a day. We had understood from talking to French acquaintances that getting into Switzerland was a strenuous exercise, especially with LuLu, due to Switzerland not being part of the EU – but Not So! We breezed over the border every time.

The first day, we took a bus into town – with LuLu. We headed straight for the Horloge Fleuri (Flower Clock) and the Jet d’Eau – tourist meccas for the beautiful view of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Next a visit to Vieux Genève. Some research had already revealed that the residence hotel where Donna lived her junior year did not exist any more. And the street that is was on, a bit outside the older part of Geneva, had been modernized a lot! We are not sure if the hotel was torn down and replaced with something Très Moderne or if it was remodeled to conceal its past life. Continuing on to the medieval section where classes were held also brought no joy. The steps we used to climb to get to class had disappeared and in their place was a modern new granite stairway with a modern new ugly building next to it. But once we were at the top, we found the school which remains a school for adults. So between a wonky, aged memory, and modernization, Auld Lang Syne was not to be had! Still, wandering around cobblestone streets has not lost its charm yet!

The next day we decided to go to Gruyères, where the cheese is made. Hoping against hope that this little village would have remained its quaint, cobbled self. We went off the autoroute and drove through some beautiful countryside – rolling hills, cows, tiny villages interspersed with modern industrial and commercial centers – including the first “Outlet Center” we’ve seen in Europe. You might have thought you were in Gilroy!

Gruyères did not disappoint! And by chance we arrived on the Saturday of a weekend Medieval Fête! So there were many people in period costumes – Lords and ladies, peasants, bakers, builders, musicians – you name it. Many of these folks were working the various demonstrations at the Fête, but many others showed up in costume just to enjoy the atmosphere. There may also have been a competition among the men for who had the biggest codpiece!

First things first! A pot of cheese fondue – Donna’s version of the Proustian madeleine. What a lovely gooey treat! And to think that Donna sent our fondue pot to the Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale! Boo hoo!

Sam took a tour of the castle and was tempted to get enarmored for a photo op, but decided it would take too long to put on several kilos of a stainless steel sport jacket and evening gloves. He did try on just gloves. The custom-made ones were way more comfortable than the stock items, even as they had the same form. There are many legends about the Severed Hand from a 15th Century battle, but it is not clear if it was friend or foe; an emblem of a fire that supposedly destroyed the castle but didn’t actually; a thief who lost the hand he’d used to purloin something. Recently it was put through a scientific assay and it is from a mummified man of the 4th Century. Why is it back in the exhibit after an absence: de main publique. Like a good fondue, you just want to dip into the imagination.

Stone paving; Brooks Brothers; armored-hand maiden; severed hand.

What follows in the museum are the restored rooms and what is most impressive is the sharp delineation of the rooms, each of which has name that in most cases relates to the person or purpose. The most striking thing are the paintings and the furniture. Jean-Jacques-Joseph d’Alt is recognized for “his influence on the interior design of the place.”

While he did that, Donna and LuLu toured the demonstrations. They watched a young woman build a daub and wattle fence, a mother and daughter doing needlework, a human powered treadmill crane to lift heavy stones, scaffolding being built with poles and ropes and boards, a potter, a stained glass maker… Everything you can think of to sustain a castle, a church and the surrounding village. Wandering around the castle garden, ramparts and court yard was accompanied by some lovely music performed on a bagpipe with lutes and flutes accompanying.

The last two pics on the right were taken through openings at the top of the tower.

But Italy beckons. So tomorrow we will head for Como and its beautiful scenic lake. George and Amal don’t know we’re coming, so this will be a BIG surprise for them and the twins!

Love to all,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

June 23, 2019

We left Le Vernay and coasted down to Lyon. At the juncture of two rivers, the Rhône and the Sâone, Lyon was a powerful strategic site in medieval Europe. There was prolific silk production and a dynamic weaving industry. And today it is an economic center and tourist hub.

Arriving at our Airbnb rental, the delightful Sandra, and her lovely shepherd mix Nouba welcomed us. We stayed in a tidy little studio with a closed courtyard where LuLu had free rein. She and Nouba spent a lot of time playing the approach/avoidance game and finally decided to ignore each other.

But, one goal of the visit to Lyon was to find a vet and get a European passport for LuLu. We had been told that entry into Switzerland might be difficult since they aren’t in the European Union. Sandra referred us to her vet, who, HAPPILY, had an appointment available the next afternoon! Background: LuLu came to France and the EU with a substantial dossier, assembled through Donna’s foresight and persistence, but was advised, nevertheless, to get LuLu a international pet passport (IPP, for sure).

Taking a taxi into Vieux Lyon, we met a driver who was born in Algeria, but raised in France. We discussed the difficulties that immigrants have in France, which mirror the difficulties in the US. He said that it didn’t matter how many diplomas one has, or how qualified one is, the job will always go to the French person. Frustrating for him, but he is raising three children in Lyon, with the hope that things will improve for them.

After a lunch in Vieux Lyon (Salade Lyonnaise for Donna – another FAVE), we headed out to wander the medieval cobblestone streets. We found a print shop that carried vintage maps and bought a lovely old original that included Beaune, Cluny and Lyon! We have several vintage maps from other trips and pay a bit of tribute to Rik, Sam’s dad, with this collection. Always happy to add a new one!

Next, we headed to the vet office. LuLu was her perfectly well-behaved self. We were interviewed (in French) by a woman we thought was the vet, who seemed to come up with many difficulties around getting a European Pet Passport for LuLu. One being that most countries would require that she have a blood titre done 100 days after the rabies shot. A blood titre drawn at the office that administered the shot. Since that is in Oakland, we explained that that was not possible. She finally left the office and came back with the actual VET, who looked at our paper work for entry into the EU, and declared that all LuLu would need is a Certificate of Health, which she was happy to provide. LuLu got an exam and Dr. Cluzel signed the certificate. We gave them 50€ and Bob’s Your Uncle!

The next day was spent wandering. One complication of traveling with LuLu is that only one of us can go into a museum at a time. So Sam did a little museum tour and LuLu and Donna found an air conditioned café and some sparkling water! We visited a shop where they continue the Lyon tradition of silk making and watched a woman paint a huge swath of silk. Then some pragmatic activities like shopping for food!

Here are some sights from the neighborhood where we stayed. We were only a few blocks from the Sâone and had a Patisserie/Café a couple of blocks away.

Re banking: When Sam went online to top up our pre-paid phones, it seems that it will cost about 30€ a month for unlimited talk and text, gigabytes of data – which seems pretty reasonable, especially if Donna opts for a Free Phone (voice only, we think). So we are not pursuing a French bank account. If we need one, we will pursue it further in St Rémy where we have an address and a landlady.

Next we are heading to Geneva, where Donna attended her junior year of college. We are looking forward to some auld lang syne here!

Love to all,

Sam, Donna & LuLu

June 18, 2019

When our friend Libby received the first group email and realized that we were in Beaune – merely an hour away -she invited us to come spend the night in their lovely – and amazingly restored – French farmhouse.

She and Don spend every summer here in Le Vernay, a tiny hameau (hamlet) that is part of the tiny village of Chateau. They are about a 10 minute drive outside Cluny. The view from the stone balcony includes (very) green rolling hills, Charolais (white) cows renowned for their beef, and hedgerows. Completely beautiful and utterly peaceful. An amazing location to just relax and empty your mind.

Not that they have “just relaxed” since they bought this place. According the them, rustic would have been an upgrade when they purchased it in the early 2000’s. They have made their farmhouse a true retreat. Gorgeous rehabilitated stone walls hold up amazing ancient, rough-hewn wood beams. They added bedrooms, 2 baths and a kitchen with modern appliances. The Barn Room has flooring that looks like the cows distressed it – they didn’t. Outdoors, Libby has created a lovely garden with annuals and perennials and a few lovely roses, including one named after a good friend – The Nimet. The garden was the setting for two delightful lunches prepared by Don, the family chef.

We ended up staying with Don & Libby for three nights, enjoying every minute of it. LuLu, too, knew she was in heaven – a glorious grassy lawn where lots of frolics could take place and more people to fawn over her! What’s not to like? Don and Libby took us to a flea market where Donna managed to restrain most of her impulses. We visited Brancion, a charming tiny Medieval village with a fortified feudal chateau and a Romanesque church. The Church, Église Saint Pierre was in the process of being restored and some lovely frescoes were discovered in the process. Next on to Chapaize, which has another amazing Romanesque church.

Don and Libby have made many good friends in their French neighborhood and we were delighted to be invited to dinner with them – which included a tour of Nimet’s garden of over 300 roses, two ponds and some very lively courting frogs! Our time in Chateau was a lovely respite and we are so grateful to have been invited.

A note about Donna’s ability to speak French. It waxes and wanes… When she is on a roll and thinking in French, it is easy easy easy. She feels little hesitation, even when she is unsure of a vocabulary word or verb conjugation. At other times, the brain just doesn’t seem to click in and the French is merely a translation of what she is thinking in English. One word at a time, it comes out haltingly. She is reading novels in French at present, and while she doesn’t recognize all the vocabulary, especially idiomatic phrases, context clues help! Reading in French does get the brain clicking in a different mode. And, it must be said, that most people who ask where we are from are very complimentary of her French speaking ability. Which is lovely and encouraging!

While we were in Beaune we began thinking about how to get LuLu her IPP (International Pet Passport). She was ahead of the game.

Our days have been organized often by a single objective. While this is may just be lunch, three time we tried to find a bank interested in our opening an account and earlier this week we took LuLu to the vet. Banks: You have to make an appointment to discuss it, but a lengthy discussion is involved in making or trying to make the appointment. Apparently there is a currency dispute among nations and the hands of banks are tied and an American without an address here—forget it!  Veterinarian: Coming up in the Lyon chapter! Watch this space.

Next we will go to Lyon. Will we ever get a French bank account? Who knows? Can we manage without one? Again – who knows?

Donna, Sam & LuLu

June 18, 2019

The good news is that the first flight On Wednesday, June 5th, was a domestic flight. Because we got to SFO barely an hour prior to the flight, with bags to check and LuLu to be certified for the flight!  Many thanks are in order to the Lyft driver who kept his calm when we needed to go back to the house to check on ONE MORE THING!

The flights went smoothly and LuLu was a champion passenger! After boarding SAS in Chicago and right after take-off she came out of the carrier and stayed on Donna’s lap the entire flight. 

SAS is Donna’s new favorite airline and Premium Economy is her new favorite seating level. She would be willing to give up food for several weeks in order to afford Premium Economy. What a luxury! (You note she is not asking for business or first class. Her wants are modest!)

Glitch number one – Donna left a portfolio of documents at a store in SFO! The woman who runs the store reached us in Chicago to let us know and said she would hold it until someone picked it up. Thanks to Peter, a former colleague of Sam’s from the SFO Arch Department, it was picked up that day and arrangements were made to have FedEx pick it up and send it to us in Beaune. It took a week for FedEx to get their act together, but when they FINALLY did – it came overnight! Christine – division receptionist – handled the logistics from her desk and we thank her mightily also!

Glitch number two – No one answered the phone at the car rental agency the night we arrived. So we went the the hotel and crashed in a heap! Not before having a dinner – Dinner In The Hotel mind you! A panna cotta de tomates avec une granita de raifort (tomato panna cotta with a horse radish granita). Really quite worthy of Chez Panisse, Boulevard, Aqua – you name the Three Star restaurant. Just mind-bogglingly delicious! I repeat: In The Hotel!

So – here we are in Beaune, decompressing. Wandering around this beautiful little town, eating wonderful meals, tempted by every boulangerie and patisserie (succumbing ever so few times), drinking fabulous wine (Donna), sniffing new sniffies (LuLu, undoubtedly a descendant of Mr. Sniff of Pickle Family Circus renown) (and perhaps hoping someone will throw her a beaune), exploring shops and the supermarket and taking care of bureaucratic business required by the move (Sam). Next stop is the tiny village of Chateau, near Cluny, to visit our friends Don & Libby who own a farmhouse there. Then on to Italy, Croatia, North Macedonia and Greece! 

We are hoping the technology curve on starting a blog is not too much of a challenge!  Also, the photography should improve as we learn to connect our devices to download photos. Please bear with us! We will see if this is actually accessible! We will send a link so you can follow along!  Our French phone number 06-83-13-18-29. I think you have to dial 33 6 83 13 18 29, but please check it to make sure.

Love to you all!

Donna, Sam & LuLu

11 juin 2019